# README for Replication Data for: The Spread of Symbolic Policies: Juneteenth, Interests, and Representation in the U.S. States


## 1. Dataset Title

[Replication Data for: The Spread of Symbolic Policies: Juneteenth, Interests, and Representation in the U.S. States]


## 2. Authors and Contact
- **Authors, Contact Emails, ORCID:** 

Marty P. Jordan  
Assistant Professor
Department of Political Science
Michigan State University 
Email: jordan61@msu.edu 
ORCiD: 0000-0002-4255-0110

Jamil S. Scott
Assistant Professor
Department of Government
Georgetown University
Email: jamil.scott@georgetown.edu
ORCiD: 0000-0001-6498-3788


## 3. Date
- **Dataset Published on Dataverse:** [2025-06-08]


## 4. Abstract 
[Abstract: Decades of policy diffusion research support the notion that governments’ policy adoptions are conditional on other governments’ policy choices. However, the theory of policy diffusion has only been tested on substantive rather than symbolic policies. This is surprising because ceremonial bills and resolutions can comprise a sizable portion of legislation proposed and passed by national and subnational governments. We leverage the spread of Juneteenth commemorative policies across the U.S. states since 1980 to exploit this central theory of policy change. Relying on the emulation mechanism, we find that states face external normative and social pressures to commemorate Juneteenth and mimic prior adopters’ policy choices, particularly their ideological peers. States’ internal contexts also matter. States’ civil rights groups and racial environments explain how states memorialize Juneteenth. Further, Black political representation moderates the negative impact of racial resentment on enacting these measures. This research holds significant implications for the study of policy diffusion, minority politics, legislative processes, and political representation.]


## 5. Files Included
| Filename | Description | File Type |
|----------|-------------|-----------|
| `juneteenth_replication.csv` | Main dataset | CSV |
| `Juneteenth Codebook.pdf` | Variable codebook including variable names, labels, and values | PDF |
| `juneteenth_prq_replication_6.1.25.do` | Stata analysis code | DO |


## 6. Data and Methodology
- **Data and Method:** [This project analyzes the adoption of Juneteenth commemorative policies across U.S. states from 1980 to 2022. The dataset distinguishes between two types of symbolic policy actions: (1) Juneteenth Recognition, a formal acknowledgment of June 19, 1865, and (2) Juneteenth Holiday, a more substantive policy that designates Juneteenth as a legal observance or state holiday. We use Event History Analysis (EHA) to model these policy adoptions separately, allowing us to assess whether internal factors (e.g., racial resentment, Black representation, interest group activity) and external factors (e.g., policy diffusion via emulation) influence these gradations differently. All states enter the risk pool in 1980, when Texas passed the first Juneteenth holiday. A state exits the risk set once it adopts the policy being modeled. Standard logistic regression is used, with state-year as the unit of analysis. We report predicted probabilities and Average Marginal Effects (AMEs) to aid interpretation.]


## 7. Variable Descriptions 
- See Juneteenth Codebook.pdf


## 8. Software and Format Notes
- **Data Format(s):** [CSV, DO, PDF]
- **Recommended Software:** [Stata, Excel, PDF Reader]
- **Stata Version: Stata/SE 14.2 for Windows (64-bit x86-64)     	
- **Computer: Dell Inc. Inspiron 14 7440 2-in-1, x64-based PC


## 9. Citation
- **Suggested Citation:** [Jordan, Marty, 2025, “Replication Data for: The Spread of Symbolic Policies: Juneteenth, Interests, and Representation in the U.S. States,” https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/PWFLNB, Harvard Dataverse, V1.]


## 10. Version History
- **v1.0 (2025-06-08):** Initial release